The violoncello and string bass are instruments that require an end pin for support on a floor or other support surface. Generally, these end pins can be retracted into the body of the instrument when not in use and can be adjusted outwardly to suit the build and preference of the player. The angle between the end pin and the floor normally varies from player to player. For example, some cellists use an end pin which is permanently angularly bent to permit a relatively acute angle between the instrument and the floor. However, such angularity is fixed rather than adjustable and does not allow the end pin to fully retract into the instrument and at least portions of them have to be carried separately.
The more acute the angle between the instrument and the floor the greater likelihood there is that the instrument will slip during play. On many surfaces such as concrete, marble and the like and most wooden floors such as used on stages, rostrums and podiums it is difficult to find reliable anchor points for the end pins. Various devices have been used to secure or anchor these instruments independently from the quality or nature of the floor surface. Devices such as a sponge rubber with a metal cup or pieces of wood attached to the leg of a chair are being used. Rubber tips are generally used to avoid injury and to protect the point of the pin. Their surface contact is not very effective to prevent slippage, except perhaps on a carpet-type surface. Moreover, with the assertion of any pressure on the instrument, the pin will penetrate the protective rubber tip.
For the most part, the devices available are generally unsatisfactory in that they must be separately carried and are easily forgotton, require set up time or do not eliminate instrument slippage. Devices such as metal cups do not provide secure support when the instrument is in an acute angle to the floor. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art devices and to provide an end pin which can be adjusted to virtually any position with the floor while at the same time greatly reducing or eliminating the possibility of the instrument slipping. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an end pin adaptor which may be used to replace the retractable end pin of the instrument or may be fitted onto an existing end pin by the player. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an end pin which is adaptable to any type of floor surface to prevent both damage to the floor and the pin itself.